Introduction

You can't have a proper experience as a PC enthusiast with a new platform by simply playing with a motherboard and a CPU. You really got to play with a few boards and a few CPUs, and right now, that's no big deal because you've got a few GPUs mining 24/7. However, there's the unfortunate reality of you having to pay for that hardware, and that hardware costs good money. When that render is complete or you finish editing that image, you can get paid and get more hardware. If you're that guy or gal, and I know that I am, the MSI X299 SLI PLUS is the board for you. Because when the work is done, we want to play some games; PC's aren't just for work, after all!

For me, MSI is that company you go to if you are a gamer. It doesn't matter if you are streaming your gameplay for views, climbing the ladder in CS, or simply playing casual games to pass the time, MSI has that option ready to meet your needs. But for the professional user, MSI has left that space relatively blank until now. They've had options, but none as focused as this one.

This review isn't like our last X299 motherboard review. This isn't a pre-release product; this is what you'll find on store shelves. I got to see this board evolve a bit before it made its way to retail, and as always, that process is fun and all that much more reassuring since we know that this board is not only ready, but refined. As a tech professional, that's exactly what you are looking for.